Judy Sheahan
September 28, 2009

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed a final rule on September 22 outlining the mandatory reporting requirements for entities that release 25,000 or more metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. It is expected that approximately 85 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will be covered by this rule.

For cities that will include any power producing utilities and municipal solid waste landfills. However, at this time, municipal wastewater treatment facilities and municipal fleets are not required to report their emissions. Also, according to an EPA spokesperson, biomass and waste-to-energy facilities will have to report their GHG emissions but they are allowed to separate the emissions that result from the burning of biomass versus the fossil fuels they may use.

The purpose for this Congressionally initiated rule is for EPA to begin to compile an accurate account of what facilities are emitting greenhouse gases so that future policy decisions can be made.

According to the EPA website, “Suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions are required to submit annual reports to EPA. The gases covered by the proposed rule are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydro fluorocarbons (HFC), per fluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other fluorinated gases including nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydro fluorinated ethers (HFE).”

The final rule will appear in the federal register in about a month. For more information, please check out the following website http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html.